Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil

Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil (1962-26 September 2004) was a senior official of Hamas.

Biography
Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil was born in 1962 in Shajaiyeh, Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip of Palestine. He became an official of Hamas, and was deported from Gaza in 1992 to Lebanon alongside 400 other Palestinian militants by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). He became based in Damascus in Syria, much safer than in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. After the 31 August 2004 pair of bus bombings in Beersheba (Be'er Sheva) that killed 16 Israeli civilians, Israel stated that there would be a renewed assassination campaign.

On 26 September 2004, Israel took action against Khalil while he was driving his white Pajero SUV in the al-Zahera district of Damascus. When he answered his mobile phone, it triggered a bomb hidden in his SUV, and his body was charred almost beyond recognition. Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesman Raanin Gissin stated that no terrorist would have sanctuary or immunity, and Moshe Ya'alon stated that action should be taken against terrorist headquarters in Damascus.